Starting an Event Planning Company? Read This First

Before taking your event planning solo, keep in mind the business factors that come with the territory. Also: These highly anticipated hotel openings could define the future of comfort.

If you’ve been doing this event-planning thing for a while, you might be wondering to yourself what it’s like to strike out on your own.

But as freeing and glamorous as it might sound, a few pitfalls are worth keeping in mind. Some thoughts in today’s Social Media Roundup:

For Budding Entrepreneurs

Starting Your Own Event Company via @hgivner  (opens in a new tab) http://t.co/Ez2B33EkeE  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab) #mpi  (opens in a new tab)

— ProjectSpeaker (@ProjectSpeaker) January 2, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

You’re good at planning events, but does that mean you could launch your own event-planning business? Not necessarily, argues the Event Leadership Institute’s Howard Givner, writing for the Event Manager Blog  (opens in a new tab). Being skilled at the former doesn’t guarantee you’ll be good at the latter—in the way that being a talented chef doesn’t necessarily mean you can run a restaurant. “People assume that if they are good at a given craft they can run a business selling and producing that craft,” he writes. “Sometimes they have a knack for both skill sets, but usually not. And no matter how brilliant you are at your craft, poor business skills can kill your company.” Givner offers some fundamental tips worth keeping in mind for anyone considering taking an entrepreneurial turn in their event-planning career. (ht @ProjectSpeaker  (opens in a new tab))

The Future of Hotels

CNN names 12 most anticipated hotel openings of 2014 http://t.co/zcDouzQQga  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab)

— Rachel Dillion (@racheldillion) January 2, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Haute hotels to watch: For event planners who want to be on the bleeding edge, check out CNN’s list of the most-anticipated 2014 hotel openings  (opens in a new tab). The list has something for globetrotters (the Alila Jabal Akhdar  (opens in a new tab) in Oman might catch your eye) and those looking to stay closer to home (Ace Hotel’s new Los Angeles location  (opens in a new tab), opening in the city’s historic United Artists building this month). But most intriguing of all might be the Park Hyatt’s first hotel in New York City  (opens in a new tab), to be located on the top floors of the One57 skyscraper  (opens in a new tab) being built near Central Park—which will be the tallest residential building in the city. (ht @raywalsh  (opens in a new tab))

What are you looking for in lodging for your next event? Tell us all about it in the comments below.

(iStock?Thinkstock)